The objective of this proposal is the stimulation and development of multidisciplinary studies on aging at the University of Pennsylvania. This will be accomplished through the Special Initiative Award mechanism by providjng seed research support for investigators whose primary research goals, until now, have not been identified with gerontologic studies. Three different projects will be carried out. All are concerned with vascular cells and fibroblast-like cells from animals and humans. One investigator is interested in the contractile proteins and cell phenotype in the vascular media during aging. Another investigator is interested in the changes in chromosomal proteins during aging, both histones and non-histones. He will evaluate any changes in relationship to their possible role in gene regulation. The third investigator plans to determine the feasibility of identify mRNA molecules which are related to the development of the senescent phenotype. He will establish recombinant mRNA libraries of the mRNA molecules of young and senescent culture. Those molecules which are different will be likely candidates for further examination.